55 Set to Thrive
55 SET TO THRIVE
Embracing Change. Inspiring Futures.
For 55 years, Burgmann College has been one of the most distinctive residential communities at the Australian National University: a place built on egalitarianism, shared governance, and a genuine belief that every resident matters. It has been a place where lifelong friendships are forged. Where residents arrive as students and leave as leaders. Where the values of respect, inclusivity, and community are not just stated, but lived.
In our 55th Anniversary year, we are inviting our whole community, alumni, families, friends, and supporters, to help us build on those foundations and take Burgmann into its next chapter.
A Message from Our Principal
Dr Brenda Holt joined Burgmann as its 11th Principal in late 2025, bringing more than two decades of experience in residential colleges. Here is what she has found:
“In my first months, I have been listening carefully to residents, staff, Council, and alumni. What I have heard is a community that is proud of its founding values and its distinctive identity. A community where lifelong friendships are forged and where the connections made around the Dining Hall table, in Convo or BackVo well into the evening, endure long after graduation.” — Dr Brenda Holt, Principal, Burgmann College
The Place to Become
Burgmann has been known as the place to be at ANU. Around the time of our 50th anniversary, a new idea began to take hold: that Burgmann is also the place to become. Where residents don't just live, but transform. Where they discover their strengths, build their confidence, and emerge ready to lead and to make their most valuable contribution to the world.
Our new strategic plan is built around four themes: transforming the resident experience, strengthening belonging, developing our infrastructure and financial foundations, and engaging our wider community. We are investing in gold-standard programs across academic support, careers, leadership, and wellbeing. And we are renewing our communal spaces so they match the quality of the community that fills them.
In the words of our residents:
“For me, Burgmann has been the place that has allowed me to feel like I wasn't just adapting... but truly belonging. Because what this place does best is give you the space, the opportunities, the friction, and the support to become.” — Kalara Pringgoharjono, 3rd year resident
How Your Gift Makes a Difference
Gifts to the Principal's Priorities Fund support the resident experience at the heart of our strategy: the wellbeing programs and wrap-around pastoral care that help every resident navigate university life, alongside the leadership opportunities, communal spaces, and infrastructure that make the Burgmann experience truly transformational.
All gifts are fully tax deductible. There is no minimum amount. Every contribution, at whatever level, helps ensure that Burgmann is here for another 55 years.
In the words of our alumni:
“From the start there has always been something special about Burgmann and the Burgmann community... It is that sense of community which Burgmann built in us all. I don't know any other place which has been as successful at that.” — John Dauth AO, LVO, OBE
► GiveToday ◄
If you have any questions about making a gift, or if you would like to discuss other ways to support Burgmann including bequests and major gifts, please contact Amelia Zaraftis, Director of Advancement, on +61 2 6125 6890 or at giving@burgmann.anu.edu.au.
Thank you for your support.
